James de Wulf helps clients reconnect with the joy of play through analog game tables in his concrete fantasia.

Cement, aggregate, and water are to concrete as ingenuity, artistry, and vehemence are to the craftsman James de Wulf. But the amalgam makes for a man whose artistic bravado is surprisingly tempered by his humility, priding himself on positively impacting his audience through the delights of his design vision rather than stardom; his work graces covetable spaces designed by the likes of Frank Gehry and Albert Hadley. As of late, these custom creations have contributed to a re-emerging and upscaled subgenre of home furnishing ? analog game tables. The current lineup comprises ping pong, pool, poker, shuffleboard, mahjong, chess, and backgammon, with plenty of room on the roster for more. Since his first sale of the Ping Pong table to Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi in 2009, and then a second in 2011, the designer has seen an exponential growth in demand for this type of low-tech entertainment ? and joy ? cranking out handmade pieces weekly. While reflecting on the current trend, de Wulf notes: ?I like video games myself, but they separate you from your present surroundings. With analog gaming you are enhancing your current environment with a little fun, some competition, and maybe even exercise.?
James de Wulf with the Deco Chess table at DESIGN MIAMI.LA \ Photo: Benjamin Juhel
Clever concepts are carried over into corresponding accoutrement, like custom chi...